Combined spring and friction buffer for railway-cars.



J. F. OOONNOR.

COMBINED SPRING AND FRIGTION BUFFER FOR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLIGATIDN FILED FEB. 1, 1911.

.1. F. ocoNNoR. COMBINED SPRING AND PRICTION BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.1,1911. 992,441

Patented May 16, 1911.

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JON OCONNOR, O'F CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO VIL'LI'M. li'. MUJER, OF

CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

COMBINED SPRING- AND FRICTION BUFFER FOR RAILWAY-CARS- oom-ai.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May ttl. titl).

Application filed February 1, 1911. Serial No, 605.845.

`To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that JoIrN F. OCovnon7 a citizen of the United States. residing in provement in Combined Spring and Friction Buffers for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a speeitication.

My invention relates 'to improvements in combined spring and friction butters for railway passenger ears. Y y

VThe object of my invention is to produce a combined spring' and friction butter ot a` strong, simple, eflicient and durable construction that will provide for the necessary extended movement of the buffer bar7 say 5linches. that will be sensitive to and properly cushion light shocks, and also 4clliciently cushion medium and very heavy shocks, and which will afford three successive st ages of yielding resistance, the second several times the capacity of the first and the third several `times the capacity ofthe second.

My invention consists in a combined spring and friction buffer having a primary spring element, preferably of about 4,000 or 5,00() pounds capacity; secondary spring element preferably of about six times the capacity of the primary spring' element and preferably comprising' a 'group of three large springs arfangcd horizontally side by side, and each with a small spring nested rwithin it, and against which secondary spring' element. the primary spring element reacts in tandem arrangement so that the light shocks may be chictly absorbed and cushioned by the primary spring' element.` and the heavier or medium shocks absorbed and cushioned chieliy by the sccomlary Spring` element; and a. friction cushion element comprising a. longitudinally movable friction shell and friction shoes and wedge within the shell, interposed between the primary spring element. and the secondary syncing)v element, the friction cushion element being preferably of from three to six times the capacity of the secomlary spring elcmcnt.; a spring cage to receive the several springs of the secondary spring element; a` bearing` plate for said springs interposed between the secondary spring.;` clement and the friction shoes; and a thrust; member in terposcd between the butl'er bar and wedge. All these parts are so combined that the butter bail may have an initial or'lirst Stage movement, preferably of about; 2li inches for cushioning light blows by thc primary spring' element before the thrust member. interpostal between thc butl'cr bar and the wedge7 comes in contact with the wedge: then a second stage movement, pretbrably ot about l inch, during which the wedge and friction slices and shell more altogether lmng'itlulinally with the butl'cr bar for cushioning medium shocks by thc sccomlary springr element', before the lougitlnlinally movable friction shell comes in contact with the spring' cage ot' the secondary spring' element: and then a third or final stage movement, pre terably of about it inches t'or cushioning' very heavy shocks by the (.:ombined action of the friction cushioning` element and of the secondary spring element and during;r which third stage movemeut of the butl'er bar the friction shoes under the spreading' action of thc wedge slide longitudinally in the friction shell and thus cause the powerful secondary springs to be further or tully compressed.

ln the accompanying drawing; forming a part of this specification, Figure Il is a side elevation. partly in central, vertical, longitudinal section of a combined spring;r and friction butl'cr embodying' my invention. Fire'. 2 'is a plan view, partly in horizontal section on line Q---YZ of Fig. '1. File', 3 is a vertical cross section on line 3 3 of Fig. l. Vig. lt is a detail. vertical, longitudinal section of the cushioning' mechanism showingr the same a 'liter the prinmry spring' has` been compressed and thc lt'mgitudinally movable friction shell moved into engagement with the spring' cage of the secomlary spring' ele ment'. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig'. 4i, but showing' the cushioning!mechanism fully compressed. Figs. t37 T, S and tl are detail cross sections on lines time, T-7, 8MS and ttm-t), respectively of Fig. Lt.

'in the drawing. 1 represents a portion of the vfront end frame of a railway passenger car, Q the butter frame or cradle. f3 the steel floor plate of the vestibule of the car, preferably secured to and supported by the butter trame or cradle Q, -.lthe butter plate, 5 the butler bar. all of which may be of any desired or suit-able form.

lhe primary spring element preferably consists o'' a single airingv surrmnuliug the thrust member T which is interposed beteecn the bull'cr bar 5 and the wedge 8 of the friction cushioning element. .ne thrust springs 13, 14 lit at one end in a spring:

member Y is furnished with a cylindrical wall 9 to surround the spring 6 and for engagement with the front end of the friction shell when the entire cushioning mechanism is full compressed, and thus serve as a stop to protect the springcushioning elements and friction 'cushioning element from injury. The friction shoes 11 are preferably three in number` and fit inside the longitudinally :movable friction shell 10. Anti-,friction rollers 12 are interposed between the inclined faces of the friction shoes and wedge.

The secondary spring element preferably comprisesa group of three large springs 13 arranged horizontally side by side and each is preferably furnished with a small spring 14 nesting within it. The secondary cage 15 and at their other` end within wings or extensions 16, 17 with which the friction4 shell 10 is preferably provided at its rear end. A bearing plate 18 is interposed between the springs 13, 111 and the friction shoes 1i, the bearing plate 18 having a cylindrical boss" or member 19 which fits within the friction shell 10, thus transmitting the pressure of the secondary springs to the friction shoes when the friction shoes move longitudinally in the friction shell, both in the buiiing or compressing movement and inthe release. movement. Bolts 20 serve to connect the spring cage 15 with "the friction shell 10, these bolts extending through the. bearing plate 18; and a bolt or rod 21 extending through the bearing plate 18, wedge 8 and thrust member 7 connects all the parts together and holds them in assembled and cooperative relation. p

The buffer frameor cradle 2 is furnished with an opening 2Q large enough for the insertion of the cushioning mechanism of the buffer and the same is-closedv by a removable supporting plate 23 which issecurcd in position by bolts 24 having threaded nuts A U shapedy housing or wide strap '26 surrounds the cylindrical wall of the thrust member 7 and the cylindrical portion of the longitudinally movable friction shell 10 to secure the cushioning mechanism in position in line with the buffer bar. The housing or strap 26 is secured in place by the bolts 24.

ln operation, during the first stage of rearward movement of the draw-bar, the primary spring 6 is compressed until the rear end of the thrust member 7 comes in contact with the front end of the wedge 8', and during this first stage of movement, the secondary buffer springs against which the primary buffer spring reacts through the interposed friction shoes, friction shell and bearing plate 18 are also slightly compressed. Then the thrust member 7, being in engagement at its rear end with the front end of the wedge 8, the further or second stage'rearward movement of the buer bar causes the wedge, friction shoes and friction shell to all move rearward together,

thus further compressing the powerful-secondary springs 18, 14 untiithe rear" end of the longitudinally movable friction shell 10 comes into engagement with the front end of the spring cage 15 of the secondary springs, thus causing the powerful secondary springs to cushion medium shocks by the partial compression of said springs. And then at the final or third stage movementof the bu'er bar, t-he friction cushionand exerting a very high or power ul spring tween the draw-bar and theV wedge, the

movement of the draw-bar being cushioned in three stages, firstly by the primary spring,

secondly by the secondary springs and.

thirdly by the friction shoes and shell in coaction with the secondary springs, substantially as specified.

2. ln a combined spring and friction buffor for railway cars, the combination with a primary spring, of secondary-springs, a cage for said secondary springs, a longitudinally movable friction shell, friction shoes and wedge within the shell, a bearing plate between said secondary springs and the friction shoes and a thrust member between the draw-bar and the wedge, the movement of the draw-bar being cushioned in three stages, firstly` by the primary spring, secondly by the secondary springs and thirdly by the friction shoes and shell in coaction with the secondary springs, vsaid thrust member engaging the wedge after the first stage of the cushioning movement, said longitudinally movable friction shell engaging the spring cage after the second stage of cushioning movement and the friction shoes sliding in the friction shell at the third stage of cushioning movement, substantally as specified.

3. In a combined spring and friction bufa primary spring, of secondary springs, a

fer for railway cars, the combination with cage for said secondary springs, a longitudinally movable friction shell, friction shoes and wedge within the shell, a bearing ,plate between said secondary springs and the friction shoes and a thrust member betweenlthe draw-bar and the wedge, the movement of the draw-bar being cushioned in three stages,f1rstly by the primary spring, secondly by the secondary springs and vthirdly by the friction shoes and shell in coaction with the secondary springs, said friction shell having rearward and lateral extensions embracing Ione end of said secondary springssubstantial1y as specified.

4. In a combined spring and friction buffer for railway cars, the combination with a primary spring, of secondary springs, a ca e tu inally movable friction shell, friction shoes and wedge within the shell, a bearing plate between saigh secondary springs and for said secondary springs, a longithe friction shoes and a thrust member between the draw-bar and the wedgeQ the movement of the draw-bar being cushioned in th`-ee stages, iirstly by the primary Spring, secondly by the secondary springs and thirdly by the friction shoes and shell in coaction with the secondary springs, said friction shell having rearward and lateral extensions embracing one end of said sec ondary springs, connecting rods extending between said spring cage shell and a connecting rod extending tween said thrust. member and said bearing plate, Substantially' as specified. l JOHN F. OCONNOR Witnesses EDMUND Aucocn, PEARL Animals.

and said friction. 

